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When the widow of a USAA insurance policyholder called the
company to say she was ill, lacked medicine and was freezing in an
unheated house, the customer service representative found that the
policy premium hadn't been paid in years. But rather than
ignore the call, she alerted the Red Cross and saw that the
unfortunate former customer got heat, medicine and other help that
day. That's the kind of attitude Kevin and Jackie Freiberg are
talking about in Guts! Companies That Blow the Doors Off
Business-as-Usual (Currency, $26).

In the follow-up to their 1996 bestseller Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for
Business and Personal Success (Broadway), the Freibergs
describe companies that succeed with unusual, visionary, courageous
and sometimes outrageous approaches. In addition to stories, the
consultants provide practical tips. For instance, in the chapter
"Gutsy Leaders Make Business Heroic," they advise
would-be heroes not to rely on perks like on-site fitness centers
and free dry cleaning to retain and inspire employees. Instead,
they recommend finding something truly heroic in what your company
does, then making sure every employee knows what it is and
understands how doing a good job makes them genuine heroes.

I'm New Here

Ever promoted someone to a management job, only to see him or
her flounder in the new role? You don't have to repeat that
dismal episode, according to The Essential New Manager's Kit: Gain
Confidence and Reduce Stress, Improve Productivity and Job
Satisfaction, Develop Leadership Skills (Dearborn Trade
Publishing, $19.95). Author Florence Stone, a 30-year veteran of
the American Management Association, tells first-time managers how
to listen, run meetings, organize change and more, including a list
of the top 10 mistakes first-time managers make. For instance, when
conflicts arise between employees, Stone advises neophyte
supervisors to downplay personality issues, remind both parties of
their common mission and focus on shared goals.